Feb 24, 2012 JAL Introduces Japan-Made Cheese Onboard International Flights

TOKYO February 24, 2012: Following the recent renewal of its onboard wine list last month, Japan Airlines (JAL) will offer a new lineup of Japanese cheese for First and Executive Class customers on select international routes from March 1, 2012.

JAL has been offering assortments of quality cheese from around the world for its meal service to premium customers onboard its international flights. From March, JAL would like to invite its customers traveling in First and Executive Class to discover the uniqueness of Japanese cheese and through it, also the richness of Japanese culture.

Japan has many established dairy farms throughout the country, notably in Hokkaido with its cool climate and vast farmlands, and also where the early history of cheese-making in Japan began some 140 years ago. As this initially-European culinary culture gradually began to find its place among the Japanese people, production of cheese in the country also started taking root mainly with pasteurized milk used to create mild-flavored cheese. Today, to satisfy a more diverse palate for all kinds of cheese, Japan produces a wide variety of world-class quality.

“We are constantly striving to provide our customers with a refreshingly good experience whenever they fly with JAL,” said Yumi Yokoyama, lead cabin attendant in JAL’s Product and Service Strategy division who is also a certified Cheese Sommelier^*1 from the Cheese Professional Association of Japan. “At the same time, as an airline established in Japan, we hope to promote the excellence of Japanese cheese to our customers and have thus carefully selected a platter of locally-produced cheese for their in-flight dining pleasure.”

An assortment of 16 types of cheese have been chosen for months up to August - offering five types in First Class and three in Executive, with a change in selection at the end of May. (See list of cheese, dates available and applicable routes below.)

In First Class, customers can also choose to simply enjoy the rich flavor of the different types of cheese available, or savor a specific type with a complementing snack.

[Served in First Class]

Cheese	Producer	Area	Dates available
Sakura	Kyodogakusha Shintoku Farm	Tokachi, Hokkaido	March 1 to May 31, 2012
Fromage d’ Aile	Cheese Kobo Adonai	Okoppe, Hokkaido
Kobuchizawa Blue	Kobuchizawa Cheese Kobo	Yamanashi Prefecture
Rakuka	Sarabetsu Cheese Kobo	Tokachi, Hokkaido
Fermier	Rurikei Goat Farm	Kyoto
Tommette de TAKAra^*2	Cheese Kobo TAKAra**	Niseko, Hokkaido	June 1 to August 31, 2012
Okoppeyama Cheese	Fermier Tomita	Okoppe, Hokkaido
Etanbetsu Blue Cheese	Ise Farm	Asahikawa, Hokkaido
Mori Kamui	Happiness Dairy	Tokachi, Hokkaido
Tokachi Chevre SUMI	Ranran Farm	Tokachi, Hokkaido

[Served in Executive Class]

Cheese	Producer	Area	Dates available
Oishii Camembert^*3	Tokachino Fromage	Tokachi, Hokkaido	March 1 to May 31, 2012
Gouda Type Cheese^*3	North Plain Farm	Okoppe, Hokkaido
Miso Camembert	Tokachino Fromage	Tokachi, Hokkaido
Oishii Camembert^*3	Tokachino Fromage	Tokachi, Hokkaido	June 1 to August 31, 2012
Tsurui Cheese, Silver Label^*3	Rakurakukan	Kushiro, Hokkaido
Smoked Scamorza	Rakukeisha	Kushiro, Hokkaido

Applicable routes

First Class: Tokyo (Narita)=New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Jakarta

Executive Class: Tokyo (Narita)=New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Vancouver, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow, Sydney, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, New Delhi, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo (Haneda)=San Francisco, Paris, Honolulu.

^*1 Cheese Sommeliers certified by the non-profit-organization Cheese Professional Association of Japan have passed a written and tasting test.

^*2 “TAKAra” is the correct typography of the name of this cheese and its producer

^*3 Two types of cheese are offered in Executive Class on the following routes: Nagoya (Chubu)= Honolulu, Osaka (Kansai)=Bangkok, Honolulu and Tokyo (Narita)=Honolulu

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